Paws for a cause: Dogs surf, model for charities

Sept. 29, 2013

Updated Oct. 2, 2013 11:24 a.m.

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Tandem dog surfing competitor Maxwell Taehun Kim, of Huntington Beach, rides a wave with schnauzers Sally, left, and Stickers during the 5th annual Surf City Surf Dog competition in Huntington Beach. This was the first time the trio competed in the event together. EUGENE GARCIA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Tandem dog surfing competitor Maxwell Taehun Kim, of Huntington Beach, rides a wave with schnauzers Sally, left, and Stickers during the 5th annual Surf City Surf Dog competition in Huntington Beach. This was the first time the trio competed in the event together. EUGENE GARCIA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

By the numbers

HUNTINGTON BEACH – The waves kept crashing on Onyx, a 10-year-old Labrador retriever, as he gripped all four paws to his surfboard with a tennis ball in his mouth.

In or out of the water, he had the zeal of a pup, which has helped him through more difficult times. Two years ago, Onyx was diagnosed with lymphoma. Crystal Davieau, his owner, said she was not sure if Onyx would see his ninth birthday.

“He has a very active lifestyle – I never treated him like he was sick,” the Garden Grove resident said. “He loves the beach, and he loves to fetch. Whenever I see something unique, I like to sign him up. I want him to try everything possible.”

Onyx was one of more than 50 dogs to surf in the fifth annual Surf City Surf Dog competition at Huntington Dog Beach. The weekend-long event and fundraiser held its surf competition Sunday. Other weekend events included a canine fashion show, costume contest and other dog-friendly happenings.

After the diagnosis, Davieau decided to keep Onyx active and happy, and he soon went into remission. She often goes on hikes with Onyx, and once entered him in a dock-diving competition. Most recently, she started putting him in surf lessons.

For Onyx's first surf competition Sunday morning, Davieau taped his favorite toy, a tennis ball, to his board in case the novice surfer needed it to focus. Onyx sailed through a couple of waves with the ball – and white masking tape – in his mouth.

From the shore, it looked like he was smiling.

About 250 spectators cheered – and barked – for the competing canine surfers. Dozens of dogs competed in four weight-class divisions, and were judged on the amount of time each spent riding a wave, the wave's difficulty, the dog's enthusiasm and other factors.

Lisa Scolman, the contest's creator, said the competition raises money for dog-friendly causes each year. This year, she estimates, about $6,000 was raised as of Sunday afternoon for Huntington Dog Beach and local animal rescues Barks of Love, OC Humane Society, Southern California Bulldog Rescue, Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue and Westie Rescue of Orange County.

Last year's contest experienced high winds with waves reaching up to 4 feet, making the competition difficult for many dogs. While this year also had 3- to 4-foot waves, low winds made conditions more favorable.

Bo, a 90-pound black Shiloh shepherd with webbed feet, traveled with his owner, Ken Sheedy, from Rochester, N.Y., to surf in the competition. Sheedy said his 8-month old puppy has more growing to do, and took advantage of the opportunity to drive Bo to the opposite coast before he grew too big.

At the beginning of the contest, Bo had some hesitation when first tackling the 1-foot waves, but Sheedy, junior life lifeguards and others help the dog ride about seven or eight waves by the end of his heat.

“This is his second time surfing in the ocean,” Sheedy said. This summer, “we taught him to surf on Lake Ontario. We drew a crowd while he did it there. Nobody surfs in Lake Ontario to begin with.”

Other returning surfer dogs, like Sugar, showed off by catching waves of up to 4 feet in an area far away from most competitors. The Australian cattle dog mix generated many hoots and hollers from the crowd, but one ride that nearly beat the competition did not make it within the contest's boundary lines. Sugar won second place in her weight category.

“I am trying to get her in the Guinness Book of World Records,

“I have not seen another dog catch bigger waves,” said her owner, Ryan Rustan, also a surfer. “She has no fear out there.”

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